Ottawa 67's lose in a shootout against Oshawa Generals in OHL action

67's-Generals

Ottawa 67's Taylor Davis is held up by Oshawa Generals #18 Brian Hughes and #12 Adam Lloyd during OHL action at Scotiabank Place in Ottawa on Wednesday October 24,2012. (Errol McGihon/Ottawa Sun/QMI Agency)

Topics

Bad breaks, bad reads and bad puck luck amounted to a third straight setback for the 67’s, who lost 4-3 to the Oshawa Generals in a shootout Wednesday at Scotiabank Place.

Yes, the 67’s did get a much-needed point. But that certainly didn’t satisfy coach and GM Chris Byrne.

When asked whether his team could get any kind of lift from scratching out a point — in the first extra time game played this season — against one of the OHL’s top teams, Byrne’s response was curt.

“None. None at all. Not good enough,” he said.

“It’s the same old story, we’re tired of good efforts, we want to win hockey games,” a feisty Byrne added. “Losing is not fun, losing is not what we do, so we’re not happy with our game.”

Generals forward Scott Sabourin, from Orléans, delivered the final nail in the shootout after a spirited 67’s comeback fell short. The East Division-leading Generals are now 12 points ahead of the 67’s, who remain in the OHL basement.

“It’s 12 games now and that’s enough of a learning experience for the young guys and even the older guys adjusting to a different kind of team,” 67’s star forward Sean Monahan said. “We’re out of excuses now, it’s 12 games in and it’s almost November. We have to work our hardest and if we start our games better, we’ll be fine.”

The 67’s found themselves in all-too-familiar territory early after Keegan Wilson — who was under fire with the Generals outshooting Ottawa 8-1 at one point — surrendered the opening goal of the game in the first period for the fifth straight contest.

Boone Jenner continued his hot streak, moving within one point of the OHL scoring lead with his 10th goal and 19th point of the season, stepping into a power-play blast from the top of the left circle that beat Wilson high.

The second period was all about the breaks, with the 67’s getting the first one 47 seconds in. A Jake Cardwell power-play blast banked off the boards and right to Sean Monahan, who tucked his fifth of the season into an open side with Generals starter Daniel Altshuller of Nepean cheating off the post.

Tyler Biggs, the top Toronto prospect who brought out a few members of Leafs Nation among the sparse showing of 3,240, made his impact felt on the scoresheet.

Biggs was the recipient of a pair of gifts.

He got one of the easiest goals he’ll ever score in junior. With the 67’s defence getting their signals crossed as Matthieu Desautels charged around his own net and reversed the puck to a partner who wasn’t there, Biggs picked up the loose puck and deposited it past Wilson.

Biggs was at it again in the third period. As Wilson waited too long to clear the puck, and as Scott Laughton ran some interference with the goalie caught out of the crease, Biggs fired his eighth of the season into an open net.

The Generals handed the 67’s plenty of chances of their own with some undisciplined play late in the game.

The 67’s had already made the Generals pay with three power-play goals. Remy Giftopoulos converted a nice feed from Cody Ceci in the second period and Ryan Van Stralen made his big-body presence felt in his return to the lineup after missing a month with a bad shoulder, popping in a rebound to take a short-lived lead 6:29 into the third.

The 67’s went 3-for-9 on the power play.

The 67’s could have made things a lot easier on themselves if puck luck stayed on their side in the third period and in extra time. Monahan had two shots ring off the post on the same shift, and put another shot off the post in his shootout attempt.